Airwaves (album)

Airwaves
Studio album by Badfinger
Released	March 1979
Recorded	October - December 1978, Los Angeles
Genre	Power pop
Length	30:49
Label	Elektra
Producer	David Malloy
Badfinger chronology
Wish You Were Here (1974) Airwaves (1979) Say No More (1981)
Singles from Airwaves
"Lost Inside Your Love" Released: 1979 "Love Is Gonna Come at Last" Released: 1979

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

Airwaves is an album released by British rock band Badfinger in 1979 on the Elektra label (a sister label to Warner Bros. Records, their previous label), the seventh album released that was credited to Badfinger. Anticipated as a comeback album for the group at the time, expectations were not quite realized, as the "group" now consisted of just the duo of Tom Evans and Joey Molland, accompanied by guitarist Joe Tansin and various session musicians.

History

Following the "hold" placed on the last Badfinger album, Head First, and the suicide of group co-founder Pete Ham in 1975, Badfinger disbanded, and the remaining members joined various other groups or dropped out of music for the next two years.

At the behest of Chicago musicians Joe Tansin (guitar/vocals) and Kenny Harck (drums), the then-unemployed Joey Molland formed a new group with the duo in Los Angeles. Molland later enticed his fellow former Badfinger member Tom Evans to also join the unnamed band.

After the band shopped demonstration records around the L.A. area, they discovered they would have more marketing power if they revived the Badfinger moniker. Although the name helped the group open doors to potential record labels, it also caused an inequality and friction between old and new Badfinger members within the band. As recordings commenced for the album, Harck was released by the band. Former Badfinger drummer Mike Gibbins auditioned for the group but was not hired, and session musician Andy Newmark was finally brought in for the drum tracks. Tansin, whose songs were largely bypassed during production in favour of Evans and Molland tunes, quit the group immediately upon the album's completion.

With a short running time and basically only eight songs, Airwaves did not leave a strong impression on music reviewers upon its release. Critics also complained about the album's "West coast" production and the loss of the famous Badfinger sound. Molland, however, has often defended the album and its production. The band toured frequently in support of the album, but sales figures failed to garner optimism with Elektra and the label passed on issuing a follow up LP.

Two singles were released from the album. "Lost Inside Your Love" did not enter the U.S. charts, "Love Is Gonna Come At Last" managed a peak position at #69 on Billboard. The actual album peaked at #125 in the US charts.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Airwaves" (Evans/Molland) – 0:29
2. "Look Out California" (Evans) – 3:27
3. "Lost Inside Your Love" (Evans) – 2:42
4. "Love Is Gonna Come at Last" (Molland) – 3:37
5. "Sympathy" (Tansin) – 4:28

Side two

1. "The Winner" (Tansin) – 3:26
2. "The Dreamer" (Molland) – 5:20
3. "Come Down Hard" (Molland) – 3:48
4. "Sail Away" (Evans) – 3:31

1997 CD bonus tracks

10. "One More Time" (Tansin) – 2:57 +
11. "Send Me Your Love" (Tansin) – 4:12 +
12. "Steal My Heart" (Tansin) – 3:56 +
13. "Love Can't Hide" (Molland/Tansin) – 2:45 ++
14. "Can You Feel the Rain" (Tansin) – 4:03 +

• + Produced by Joe Tansin
• ++ Produced by Joey Molland

Personnel and credits

As listed in liner notes of 1999 re-issue.^[2]

1. "Airwaves"
   • Words and music: Joey Molland and Tom Evans
   • Lead vocal: Tom Evans
   • Acoustic guitar: Joey Molland
   • Leg, hands and feet: Peter Clark
2. "Look Out California"
   • Words and music: Tom Evans
   • Lead vocal: Tom Evans
   • Harmonies: Tom Evans and David Malloy
   • Guitars: Joey Molland and Joe Tansin
   • Bass: Tom Evans
   • Drums: Ken Harck
   • Synthesizer: Duane Hitchings
3. "Lost Inside Your Love"
   • Words and music: Tom Evans
   • Lead vocal: Tom Evans
   • Harmonies: Tom Evans, Joe Tansin and Joey Molland
   • Guitars: Joey Molland and Joe Tansin
   • Bass: Tom Evans
   • Acoustic piano: Nicky Hopkins
   • Drums: Andy Newmark
4. "Love is Gonna Come at Last"
   • Words and music: Joey Molland
   • Lead vocal: Joey Molland
   • Harmonies: Joey Molland, Tom Evans and Joe Tansin
   • Guitars: Joey Molland
   • Percussion: Steve Foreman
5. "Sympathy"
   • Words and music: Joe Tansin
   • Lead vocal: Tom Evans
   • Harmonies: Joey Molland and Tom Evans
   • Guitars: Joey Molland and Joe Tansin
   • Bass: Tom Evans
   • Electric piano: Joey Molland
   • Percussion: Steve Foreman
   • Drums: Ken Harck
6. "The Winner"
   • Words and music: Joe Tansin
   • Lead vocal: Joey Molland and Tom Evans
   • Harmonies: Joey Molland, Joe Tansin and Tom Evans
   • Middle eight vocal: Joe Tansin and Tom Evans
   • Lead guitar: Joe Tansin
   • Bass: Tom Evans
   • Acoustic piano and Synthesizer: Duane Hitchings
   • Drums: Steve Foreman
7. "The Dreamer"
   • Words and music: Joey Molland
   • Lead vocal: Joey Molland
   • Harmonies: Joey Molland and Tom Evans
   • Guitar: Joey Molland and Joe Tansin
   • Lead guitar: Joe Tansin
   • Bass: Tom Evans
   • Piano and Hammond organ: Nicky Hopkins
   • Percussion: Steve Foreman
8. "Come Down Hard"
   • Words and music: Joey Molland
   • Lead vocal: Joey Molland
   • Guitar: Joey Molland and Joe Tansin
   • Lead guitar: Joe Tansin
   • Bass: Tom Evans
   • Drums: Andy Newmark
9. "Sail Away"
   • Words and music: Tom Evans
   • Lead vocal and Harmonies: Tom Evans
   • Acoustic piano: Nicky Hopkins
   • String arrangement: David Campbell
10. "One More Time"
    • Words and music: Joe Tansin
    • Lead vocal: Joe Tansin
    • Harmonies: Joe Tansin and Tom Evans
    • Guitars: Joey Molland and Joe Tansin
    • Lead guitar: Joey Molland
    • Cardboard box: Ken Harck
    • Cricket noise: cricket
11. "Send Me Your Love"
    • Words and music: Joe Tansin
    • Lead vocals, guitar and keys: Joe Tansin
12. "Steal My Heart"
    • Words and music: Joe Tansin
    • Lead vocal: Joe Tansin
    • Guitars and keys: Joe Tansin
    • Tom Toms: Ken Harck
    • Saxophone: Barry Sperti
13. "Love Can't Hide"
    • Words and music: Joey Molland and Joe Tansin
    • Lead vocal: Joey Molland
    • Guitar: Joey Molland
    • Bass: Tom Lecher
    • Piano: Harry Pulver, Jr.
    • Drums: Bob Millea
14. "Can You Feel the Rain"
    • Words and music: Joe Tansin
    • Lead vocal: Joe Tansin
    • Backing vocals: Dean Ford and Joe Tansin
    • Slide guitar: Rick Salon
    • Acoustic guitar: Joe Tansin
    • Piano: Scott Greer
    • Mandolin: Joe Tansin

References

1. Allmusic review
2. Airwaves (CD). Badfinger. Permanent Press Recordings. 1999. PCD 52712.